MOLECULAR INSIGHTS INTO A CATHEPSIN F HOMOLOG IDENTIFIED FROM DISK ABALONE (Haliotis discus discus)  

As per current status on shellfish aquafarming, abalone aquaculture is becoming a popular industry particularly in Asian countries. Since abalones are highly sensitive marine gastropod mollusks, a particular attention need to be admitted in order to take the good care of it without infecting the pathogenic marine microorganisms. Therefore, molecular- immunologists who conduct their studies with abalones are now driving their studies to identify hidden biochemical pathways at molecular level, which can lead to gather the information on unique host defense mechanisms.

The current study is on the identification of cathepsin F (AbCTSF) from Disk abalone (Haliotis discus discus). Cathepsin F is a lysosomal cysteine protease involved in metabolic degradation of peptides and proteins, antigen processing and protein turnover within the endosomal/ lysosomal system. The regulatory role in MHC class II antigen processing in macrophages represents cathepsins F as primary targets for the development of inhibitors that could block its uncontrolled activity in pathological conditions, thus be useful in treating certain diseases associated with excessive immune responses.

Ubiquitous distribution of AbCTSF transcripts was detected in all the tissue types of healthy animals, while the highest expression level showed in digestive tract and gills. Under the pathogenic stress caused by Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Listeria monocytogenes and LPS, Significantly up-regulated AbCTSF transcripts were detected in Gill and Hemocyte tissues. Collectively, current study exhibit the putative role of AbCTSF in defense responses against pathogenic infections and conforming in finding novel solutions for the aqua-farming industry.